


From Responsibilities, We Run

by NoodleTiger



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Fix-It, Hokage!Sakura, LGBT Themes, M/M, me fixing the end of canon so that it actually makes sense, my girls are in love with eachother, naruto and sasuke run away/fake their deaths after the valley of end, naruto is the good dad he would be, nothing more graphic than would be in the naruto anime, orochimaru is up to shit again, pretty gay tbh, sasuke pulls himself back together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-02-23 04:04:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13181988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoodleTiger/pseuds/NoodleTiger
Summary: Naruto, thanks to his healing abilities from the kyuubi, heals enough after the battle at the Valley of the End to make one fatal, life changing decision; Sasuke comes first from now on.A Post-Canon Fix-it Fic.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> so here i am, FINALLY writing the Naruto fic I've wanted to for years. I'm hoping to get through this pretty quick, but please forgive me if updates suddenly slow; I am a university student now.   
> either way, I hope you enjoy it! :)

Kakashi lost all hope for his students the second they set off in the direction of the Valley of End.

 While Sakura stayed - doing her best in healing him from the long battle against Kaguya - Kakashi knew where she'd much rather be right now; making sure her teamates didn't kill the other.

 That's where Kakashi wishes he was right now. ‎ ‎

 But he also realises he has to have faith - faith in Naruto, and his ability to make Sasuke see sense. If anyone can do it, Naruto can.

 At the same time, Kakashi can feel this pit in his stomach. After years of war, Kakashi knows to trust this gut instinct; this time it's telling him something is deeply, deeply wrong. This feeling comes to fruition the minute he and Sakura set foot at the remains of what was the Valley of End.

All that remains of Sasuke and Naruto are the blood stains on the floor, and two severed arms.

Kakashi hates being right.


	2. i

 

 Sasuke wakes to the sound of a crackling fire. He's lying down in what as he observes with a foggy mind as a damp cave, a bed made of straw and hurried cloth beneath him. There's a great ache at his side, and it’s with some distant recollection that he flexes his right arm to realise, oh yes, he no longer has one.

 Huh.

Serves him right, really.

Lifting up his other arm, Sasuke sees someone's tried to bandage him up – and done a shoddy job of it too, looks like – but it’s better than nothing; it’s better than he deserves. In fact, it’s a miracle that he’s alive right now.

 Sasuke tilts his head to the side to see his saviour – one Uzumaki Naruto, slouched against the wall, asleep. He looks as rough as Sasuke feels – his bandages just as sloppy – but – well, peaceful.

 A wave of guilt hits Sasuke, perhaps the first he’s felt in years, as he just watches.

 What are they doing here? Shouldn’t Sasuke be in, you know, prison right now? He just threatened to kill the Kages and the tailed beasts. And Naruto.

Again.

 Sasuke can’t put up with the silence any longer.

 “…Naruto,” he calls.

 Nothing.

 “Naruto,” he tries a little louder.

 Still nothing.

 Ugh, the idiot.

 “Naruto!” he shouts this time.

 The dumb-ass finally jolts awake, reaching into his back pocket for a kunai before assessing his surroundings and seeing it’s just Sasuke. He visibly relaxes. “Oh, it’s just you,” he says through a lazy smile. “Morning sunshine.”

 Sasuke frowns. “Don’t call me that.”

 Naruto shuffles closer, from where he’s originally been leant up against the cave wall. It obviously takes him a tremendous effort – shit, as he gets closer Sasuke can get a better look at just how messed up Naruto is – but soon Naruto is sat cross-legged next to him, his remaining hand fiddling in his lap.

 “Why not?” Naruto teases. “You’re just known for your bright personality, Sasuke- _kun._ ”

 Sasuke huffs, and makes a move to sit up. Naruto is instantly there, a hand behind his back helping him upright. Sasuke bats the hand away as soon as he’s able, but it’s meek and meaningless at this point.

 “Seriously, Naruto, what are we doing here? Why aren’t we dead? Or, at least, why are you not living a hero’s life in Konoha and why am I not in jail?”

 Naruto’s face twists into something akin to – surely not – _guilt._

Sasuke begins to worry. He can’t help it, he reaches out and grips Naruto’s sleeve. “Naruto, what did you do?”

 The idiot refuses to meet his eyes.

 Sasuke’s grip tightens.

 “Naruto, _tell me.”_

 “I faked our deaths, okay?!” He blurts out, flailing limbs and tears in his eyes.

 Sasuke blinks. Of all answers he was not expecting that.

  Naruto, suddenly agitated, continues; “I woke up after the - - the _fight_ and the Kyuubi had managed to heal me enough overnight that I could move but, shit, Sasuke you were a wreck. I managed to get you conscious long enough to dispel the Infinite Tsukuyomi and I was about to pick you up to find help when I - - Sasuke, I realised I didn’t know what they were going to do to you. A few months ago the Kages,” Naruto’s breath starts getting shaky, “they were going to _kill you._ I didn’t know how I could _protect you_ anymore, Sasuke! So I… panicked. I left the bloodstains and our - - _arms_ and just hoped whoever found it would assume…”

 “Assume we blew each other up?”

 Naruto nods.

 

 Sasuke feels numb.

 

 There’s silence.

 

 “Who knows?”

 Naruto gulps. “I don’t know exactly. You’ve been out for at least a day.”

 So likely everyone now.

  _Fuck._

 He can see Naruto struggling to hold back tears.

 Just.

  _Fuck._

 Sasuke sees red.

 In a flash, he’s holding Naruto up by the scruff of his neck, teeth grit and fuming. “Naruto, do you know what the _fuck_ you’ve done?! You’ve _ruined your entire life._ For _me.”_

 Naruto does nothing. He just stares, wide eyed, at Sasuke, breathing rapidly.

 Sasuke gets the urge to smash something. A hand down, he resorts to gripping Naruto closer. “How _dare you,”_ he yells, “ _ruin your life_ for _me?!_ They loved you! I was never going to achieve my fucking goals but Naruto, I could tolerate Konoha with you in charge. You could have been _the fucking Hokage!_ It’s what you’ve always wanted. Why?!”

 Naruto breathes back at him. Sasuke shakes him. “ _Tell me!”_

 Naruto tilts his head to the side slightly. Why does he look puzzled? Naruto – against all of Sasuke’s expectations – laughs. It just – bubbles out of him. Suddenly, Naruto is laughing and crying at the same time, in Sasuke’s hold no less, and he just looks directly at him and says; “Because I’m in love with you.”

 Sasuke punches Naruto square in the jaw.

 “No!” He shouts. “No! Naruto, not after everything I’ve done! I know I did a shitty job of severing this – this _bond_ but how could you _love_ me?” The word gets stuck in his throat, as if it’s poison. Love’s never done anything but eat him up from the inside out. “You should _never, ever_ love _me.”_

 Sasuke only realises he’s crying when he sees the droplet hit the floor and stain it.

 When Naruto finally moves again, he does so slowly. Sasuke thinks at first it’s because ‘ _I hurt him again why could he ever love-’_ but even when Naruto is upright, he moves quietly, as if he’s scared of spooking a wild deer, as if he’s about to crush something fragile.

 Sasuke feels the hand on his cheek before he really sees it, and it’s subconsciously that his own hand goes up to join it. Naruto’s leaning in before Sasuke can process it, but Sasuke’s the one that leans in on instinct and _need_ to press their lips together in something hesitant but so, so _right._

 They’re both kissing and crying at the same time and Sasuke loves it and hates it at the same time.

 

 Two days later sees Sasuke and Naruto hobble out of their cave. They’re joined at the hip, keeping the other up with their remaining strength, and head out towards the nearest village they can.

 They move in the opposite direction of Konoha.


	3. ii

_12 Years Later_

 All in all, it’s a quiet day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

 Sakura’s sitting at her desk, Hokage’s hat sitting discarded in the corner of the room, just trying to get through the mountain of reports on her desk. They blather on – for Ninjas, her subordinates can’t be _concise_ for the life of them – and it doesn’t make for a quick read.

 She’s far too tired to deal with this today of all days.

 Sakura slouches into her chair, staring up at the ceiling. Her office is quiet, the noise of the streets below just about muffled. The only sound in the room is the sound of the clock ticking slowly round on the wall.

 She checks the time. Ah. It’s only three o’clock in the afternoon; she can’t go home quite yet. But she’s not really doing anything productive here either.

 If only it was one of those busy days; where chunin where asking her stupid questions every few seconds, or there was a meeting with the Kazekage, or where she had to run a medical session at the hospital.

 Anything but _this._

_Mundane, thoughtless office work._

There’s a knock on the window.

 Sakura sits up straight, and swivels her chair round in time to see her old sensei opening the window, cups of tea in hand. “Ne, afternoon Sakura! I wondered if you’d like some company this afternoon?” He smiles through his mask and Sakura suddenly feels twelve again.

  She smiles back. “It’s like you read my mind, sensei. Have a seat.”

 He does so – Sakura sometimes forgets this used to be his office too – pulling one of the armchairs from the corner of the room in, passing over the tea before he does so.

 Sakura takes a sip and instantly feels a little calmer.

 “I don’t miss this,” Kakashi says across from her. “The paperwork, I mean,” he elaborates after a moment, “but being Hokage was never a goal of mine anyway.”

 Sakura snorts. “It sure wasn’t. You passed it over to me as soon as you could!”

 “It still took me a good eleven years,” he teases. “I don’t know how the third held the seat for so long.”

 Sakura glances out the window. They just finished building her face into the mountain side the other week. It’s still disconcerting every time she sees it.

 When she turns back, Kakashi is perusing the file on her desk. He glances up at her while turning the page and asks, “Are you ready for tomorrow, Sakura?” He’s as nonchalant as ever, but the question makes Sakura’s stomach flip.

 She takes a deep breath, before nodding. “You’d have thought tweleve years of this would make it a little easier.”

 “It never gets easier, sadly,” he says, nose still buried in the file.

 Sakura pauses, really looking at her sensei. Sometimes she forgets just how much he’s lost.

 She reaches a hand across the table, gripping his own hand tight. This catches his attention, and Kakashi looks up slightly startled. She smiles. “We can do it together at least, huh?”

 In the corner of her vision sits the only picture on her desk; the group picture of Team 7, taken what feels like a lifetime ago now. It pains her to this day; she can’t help but wonder how everything went so badly wrong.

 Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day Naruto and Sasuke finally killed each other.

 

  Twelve years ago to the day was the day Sakura and her sensei stumbled across her teammates’ final battle ground.

 It had been… disorientating. For months afterwards.

 She’d spent a lot of time by the memorial stone; there had been resistance at first, to put Sasuke’s name on the monument. _‘We cannot have a murderer on the same stone as those he murdered,’_ one councilman had said. Sakura put her foot down.

 Sasuke was as much a victim in this as Naruto was.

Sakura hated all the villagers that turned up to Naruto’s funeral. They were all _sobbing_ for their _hero._ Yeah, that they hated for most of his life for something that he couldn’t control.

 It was the day she realised her daily routine revolved around the memorial stone that she also realised she was slowly becoming _Kakashi._

 The sad, alone, abandoned teammate.

 She never wanted to be that girl.

 

 Sakura comes home to a warm house. As she takes off her shoes, she hears humming in the kitchen, and the scent of cooking broth washes through the halls. “I’m home!” she finally calls, to which she hears footsteps.

 Hinata appears in the doorway, hair tied up in a neat ponytail, with a warm smile on her face. “Sakura! You’re back early!” she says, but Sakura’s already moving, meeting Hinata half way and pulling her into a tight embrace. Yet, Hinata seems to fully expect this, adjusting so she can run a hand through Sakura’s hair. “I thought you might be, so I put dinner on a little early. Is that okay?”

 “That is more than okay,” Sakura says, muffled by Hinata’s shirt.

 Ohhh, boy it has been a long day.

 “…I wish I could make this at all easier,” Hinata says quietly.

 Sakura hums in response.

 She makes it easier just by being there.

 There’s a knock on the door.

 Sakura groans, pulling away from her girlfriend. She glances down the hallway. “Do you think we can ignore them?”

 “Hmm, I’m not sure.” There’s another knock, and Sakura thinks she hears someone call her name. “They seem pretty insistent... What if it’s something important?”

 Sakura groans, “Why do you always have to be right?” before she leaves, leans in for a quick peck. Stupid Ninjas won’t even let her kiss her girlfriend properly upon getting home from work. Hinata takes this affection gladly before, much used to the ever constant demands for the Hokage at this point, going back to busy herself. Sakura will be done soon, she tells herself.

 At the same time, Sakura opens the door. She thought she told her assistant she wasn’t to be disturbed for the next few days? As she does this, she’s presented with a small legion of chunins.

 Sakura is not impressed.

With a hand on her hip, eyebrow raised, she says; “Well?”

 They practically shrink in their boots in front of her. One – slightly braver – chunin speaks up. “I-I’m sorry ma’am but there’s a disturbance at the gate!”

 “What kind?”

 “We – uh – um,” they turn to a counterpart, _“Niko, how do I even explain this?_ ” they whisper unsuccessfully.

 “You could start by giving this explanation to me,” Sakura orders, rolling up her sleeves.

 The chunin goes pale – and actually looks like they’re going to be sick – when Shikamaru drops down from the rooftops. Sakura feels herself exhale.

 “Thank goodness, someone with a brain. Shikamaru, what’s going on?”

 He’s straightening himself out, brushing his slacks off, but eventually meets her with a stricken gaze.

 “I’m not going to beat around the bush. There are some Naruto and Sasuke copycats surrendering themselves at the front gate.”

 Sakura feels the breath catch in her throat.

 Why today of all days.

 

 

This was not the first time copy-cats had turned up at Konoha’s walls. Most of the time they were obvious fakes, always missing something; whether that be physical or in spirit. But these – these fakes are eerie.

 Sakura’s watching from a distance, Shikamaru at her side, as the two men hold themselves in surrender just outside the city walls.

 They look older.

 That’s what make Sakura’s chest ache the most.

 “What have they said so far?” she asks Shikamaru as a distraction.

 He merely shakes his head in response. “It’s weird enough for Naruto, I’ll give them that. They claim they faked their death twelve years ago, but now they’re ready to surrender. They’ve given no motivation for doing so other than ‘it’s the right thing to do.’”

 Sakura feels her blood begin to boil. “Let me talk to them.”

 Shikamaru whips his head around to look at her in surprise. “Sakura, that’s not a good idea. That’s probably what they want; this would be the best way to target you, to draw you out.”

 “I know it’s not tactical but,” Sakura readjusts the kage coat around her shoulders, and begins flexing her muscles, “imposters or not, I want to punch them to hell and back.”

 Shikamaru blinks.

 Sometimes he forgets just how terrifying his Hokage is.

 He lets out a strangled laugh, before waving to the path in front of them. “Lead the way then, my all powerful Hokage.”

 Sakura ignores the sarcasm.

 The two are exactly as described.

 The Naruto and Sasuke look-alikes stand just outside the gates of Konoha. They’re standing a few meters apart – at the insistence of the gate keepers looks like – but Naruto’s trying to chat to the guards as if this were a school reunion.

  “Ehhhh, Sasuke, do you remember a Kaza Mokuami from the Academy? This is his daughter apparently!”

 “No, Naruto. I don’t. I have more important things to remember.”

 Fake-Naruto scoffs. “Like what? How to walk without falling over?”

 Sasuke’s reply is an icy glare.

 The interactions sends a chill down Sakura’s spine as well.

 It’s too accurate.

 Naruto looks… good. Happy. His hair is a little shorter, but still in his eyes, not pulled up by a headband. He’s mostly covered by a long, dark cloak but Sakura can see hints of orange poking out from his sleeves.

 Sasuke, on the other hand, almost looks as if he’s been lost in the woods a good few months. His clothes are immaculate, yes, but his _hair._ Why he’s let it grow long enough to completely obscure his left eye…

 And then Sakura has to shake herself.

 These aren’t really her old friends.

 They’re dead, and they’ve been dead for over a decade.

 They aren’t real.

 It only makes her angrier.

 Sakura moves in full of rage.

 Naruto notices her mid conversation.

 “So, as I was saying, Kaza and I were sitting in the back row when--” Sakura sees him gasp as she approaches. “Sakura!”

 “Dope, I don’t remember this and I know you’re telling the story wrong--” Then Sasuke sees her too. His eyes widen.

 Sakura hates how genuine their reactions look.

 The Not-Naruto is drinking all of her in. “You’re Hokage,” he says, slightly awe-struck. “I mean, I _knew_ they appointed you Hokage but… Sakura, you’re _the Hokage!”_

 Does he… does Naruto have tears in his eyes?

 Sakura decides enough is enough.

 She clears her throat. “Whoever you two are, drop the henges and relinquish yourselves to custody. This… _prank_ has gone on far too long already.”

 Naruto looks very taken aback. “Wh-what?”

 Sasuke flicks between the two. He starts to make a move for Naruto but is stopped. He speaks, instead. “Naruto, we thought this might happen. Just explain.”

 “But I thought she’d _see!”_ Naruto says in return. “It’s _obviously_ us! Why would it not be us?”

 “Because in your _absence,_ ” Sakura buts in. She begins clicking her fists, “we have had over ten Naruto and Sasuke impersonations, one of which ended with five civilian deaths.” She gets right in False-Naruto’s face and spits, “So stop impersonating my dead friends before someone gets hurt.”

 Naruto looks so pained.

 And then there’s a sneeze under his cloak.

 Sakura jumps back out of muscle memory, and every Ninja in the area moves for their weapons. In the same moment, Sasuke’s suddenly in front of Naruto, a shield; Sakura becomes to the confusing revelation that he’s _protecting_ Naruto.

 

 And then there’s a tiny voice.

 “…Should I come out now, Dad?” a little whisper comes from beneath Naruto’s cloak. If Sakura had been untrained, she’d never have caught it. But she did, and what it sounded like that was the voice of a –

 Naruto and Sasuke share a glance before nodding. Game’s up, looks like. In one swift move, Naruto pulls back his cloak to reveal a small child sitting in his arms.

 Sakura practically feels her heart stop.

 Why do they have a _child._

 At first she’s worried that this is some form of threat – _give us what we want or you know what we’ll do –_ but the girl, she’s a little girl, Sakura realises, just sits up and glances around.

 Of all people, her eyes settle on Sakura, and for some reason she _brightens._

 “Papa,” she whispers again, tugging Sasuke closer with a little fist, “That lady has pink hair. It’s pretty.”

 And, worst of all, Sasuke turns to the girl and _his eyes look kind._

 Sakura never saw Sasuke so soft, in all her life.

 At the same moment, Naruto meets her eye and conveys through his face alone nothing other than a plea for _help._

 Sakura feels her resolve shatter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know i originally put child oc in the tags but then i remembered how much i love sarada so i changed things up a little ;)   
> hope you've enjoyed it thus far!


	4. iii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter... turned out angstier than I thought it would tbh. but i promise the next chapter is a lot more light hearted and should be up soon!! ^u^

 There's little fuss getting Naruto and Sasuke to interrogation rooms until Shikamaru insists they separate from their daughter.

 Sasuke's been holding her for a while now - when the girl changed arms Sakura isn't sure, still in some form of shock - and upon the request he only holds the child closer to his chest.

 "It'll only be for a little bit," Naruto says, trying to defuse the situation, but Sasuke doesn't budge.

 "I don't trust them. I'm not leaving Sarada alone with them."

 So that's her name, Sakura offhandedly notes, and then realises the girl's eyes are on her again. "Why can't I go with the pink haired lady, Papa?” Sarada says, addressing Sasuke. “She's pretty."

 "Naww, sorry sweetie," Naruto interjects. He comes to run a hand through Sarada's hair. "She's gotta talk to your Dads for a bit. I'm sure Uncle Shikamaru would watch you though?"

 Sasuke and Sarada glance round to look at the smartest ninja in all of Konoha. They pull identical faces of disgust. If Sakura had any doubts the two were related before, they're gone now.

 They turn back to face Naruto in unison. "Never," Sasuke deadpans.

 "Hey, I have a two year old son I'll have you know!" Shikamaru - oddly shaken by the gaze of a, what, five year old? - retorts.

 Sakura can see Sasuke about to make the situation a whole lot worse so she decides to end it here and now. "Look," she begins, "just hand Sarada off to Shikamaru. I can guarantee nothing bad will happen to her. Some of us keep to our words. So can we just get this over with?"

 Sasuke glares at them all.

  And then begrudgingly lets Sarada down to the floor and leads her over to Shikamaru. He gets right up to Shikamaru's face, and whispers, drawing out every single syllable: "If there is one scratch on her when I get back, I will rip you limb from limb and serve your eyes for dinner to your wife." Sasuke then marches into the nearest interrogation room and slams the door.

 A whole host of eyes turn to land on Naruto, who at this point is laughing nervously in the corner. "I - uh - well - ILoveYouSaradaBehaveForUncleShika-Okay,SeeYouSoon!" and Naruto zips into the other integration room and out of sight.

 Sakura... Sakura forgot how exhausting it was to be around Team 7.

 As a grumbling Sarada walks away hand in hand with an equally grumbling Shikamaru, Sakura is just beginning to compose herself when she sees Kakashi sprinting down the corridor. Her normally unflappable sensei looks deeply panicked as he approaches her, and says, "Is it true? Is it really them?"

  Sakura shakes her head. "I'm not sure, but I'm becoming more certain of it by the second. I can't--" Sakura feels herself slipping. She bites her tongue. "Let’s just get this out of the way, Sensei. Please."

 She sees Kakashi steel himself in the blink of a second. He nods. "Who do you want me to take?"

 "Naruto," she says. "I'll take Sasuke."

  Time to rip off the band-aid.

 

 Sakura closes the interrogation room door softly. Sasuke's sat neatly in the chair, patiently waiting for her to start. There's none of the anger in his eyes Sakura remembers from when they were teenagers; he's unsettlingly calm.

 Sakura skulks over to the chair facing him, sits down, and places her hands linked on the table in front of them.

  She can barely meet his eyes.

 "What did you say your goal in life was to Kakashi when we first met him?"

 Sasuke blinks, and then obediently plays along. "To restore my clan and to kill a certain someone."

 "What jutsu allowed Naruto to get the first hit on Kaguya?"

 "Sexy Reverse Harem No Jutsu."

  "When is your brother's birthday?"

 "The 9th of June."

 This goes on for a while. Sakura drills him for every scrap of knowledge that she knows, anything to trip him up. He answers everything with flying colours until she asks; "How did I introduce myself to Kakashi on our first day as Team 7?"

  Sasuke stills. "...I can't remember."

 And Sakura sighs. Damn it, he passed every test; it would have been unusual for 12 year old Sasuke to have remembered her existence at all.

 There’s a lull in the conversation for a minute. "…You've know it was us the second we set foot in the village,” Sasuke says. “Our chakra signatures are too unique to replicate, or to be anyone else. Why have you been playing dumb all this time?"

 Because Sakura didn't want to believe it was really them.

 "Why have you returned?" she asks instead, face as still as a stone.

 "For Sarada," Sasuke replies.

 Huh? "Why?"

 Sasuke finally starts to look a little uncomfortable. "We're... worried about her health, and you're the best doctor in the world."

 So they hadn't even returned because they wanted too. They'd have stayed away their whole lives if they could have, Sakura realises. It only makes her feel bitter.

 But the girl had no part in that. "What's wrong with her?" she asks.

 But gets no solid reply from Sasuke. His eyes shift around to the mirror on the wall; he's seen enough two-way glass in this life. "I can't tell you here when I know people could be listening."

 Sakura stands up. She knows a dead end when she sees one. Instead, she has two other questions. "...Is she genetically your daughter?" Sakura asks, firm.

Sasuke looks up at her. "We think so."

 Think so?

 Sakura pauses. She places both hands on the table, leaning forwards into Sasuke's vision. "Last question."

 He nods, wary.

  "Whose idea was it to run away from Konoha and never look back?"

 There's a tense second of silence.

 That's all Sakura needs to hear.

 She storms out of the interrogation room, locks the door behind her, brushes off some worried looking interrogation specialist, bursts into the adjacent room – where Kakashi and Naruto are sat in a very similar position to which she was with Sasuke a good minute ago –and punches Naruto so hard he hits the two way mirror and it shatters.

 Kakashi's immediately behind her, holding her back, as she stares at Naruto with contempt in her eyes and snarls, "How dare you leave us! How _dare_ you! I mourned you! We buried you! All we found was your arm, Naruto! Your arm! We buried a casket that barely _contained a fraction of you!"_

 Naruto's slouched against the wall, a little bit of blood trickling down his face, cut by the shattered glass, and the only expression on his face is guilt.

"I'm sorry," he tries, and its genuine.

 Sakura's too angry to be sorry right now. "Why?!" She's screaming and begging at the same time.

 She already knows the answer.

 "...They would have killed him, Sakura."

 Sakura rips free of Kakashi's hold and back through the door.

 She doesn't look back.

 

Hinata hears the door unlock before she sees Sakura. It got dark out while she was waiting for her girlfriend to come home. Hinata knew not to worry - Hokage business often took a long time - but there would always be this itch.

 She called Sakura in to the living room, where she was sat reading some book on chakra theory, it really was interesting, but then she looked up and saw Sakura's face.

 Before she knows it Sakura's sobbing into her shoulder and all Hinata can do is wrap her arms around her and weather the storm.


	5. iv

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter is so - *checks date* - laTE OMG sORrY!!!   
> I'm back at uni now and i had three essays due in two weeks and it stole all my time OOPS.   
> But I'm back now??? Cannot guarantee quick updates but I promise I am trying.   
> Here you go, lol, hope you enjoyyyyyy <3

Naruto spends the night in a jail cell. It’s nice, sure – he’s a _luxury_ prisoner it looks like – but a prisoner nonetheless.

 Sasuke warned him it would go this way. His husband, always right, _knew_ this was how Sakura would react. He absentmindedly rubs his jaw, bruised despite the Kyuubi’s healing properties, and mourns how _naïve_ he was.

 He’d really hurt Sakura. To her, they’d been dead for 12 years and then Naruto turns up out of the blue asking for _help?_ Naruto feels like kicking himself for being such a _dumbass._

 Therefore, Naruto spends the whole night sulking. It was Sasuke normally, that got him out of his head, but, after being reassured that Sarada was with Sasuke – in another ‘luxury’ cell, probably – the guards hadn’t stayed for any conversation, only making Naruto’s mood worse.

 Why couldn’t he have shared a cell with Sasuke? It’s just a less glorified hotel room, really, double bed and everything! Naruto bet they let the straight criminals share a room. Yes, he’ll just blame heteronormativity rather the fact that he’s a criminal now.

 It’s Kakashi that comes for him in the morning. He – emotionlessly – informs Naruto that he is to meet the Hokage in her office to discuss further business, and that Sasuke and Sarada will be along shortly.

 There’s an awkward silence between them as they wait, Naruto feeling extraordinarily guilty; he suddenly realises he didn’t just abandon Sakura, but _Kakashi_ too.

 They must all hate him right now.

 Naruto is saved from his self-loathing by the appearance of his husband and daughter, appearing from the end of the corridor.  

“Daddy!” Sarada calls, dropping Sasuke’s hand and running towards Naruto. He drops to his knees and lets his daughter run into his arms for the bear hug of the century. He runs his hands over her – looks like Shikamaru didn’t do her any harm, thank goodness – and beams at her.

 “Morning, Pumpkin! Did you sleep well?”

 She nods enthusiastically. “Mm hmm! I plaited Papa’s hair yesterday too!”

 Kakashi lets out a snort, before being promptly silenced by Sasuke’s murderous eyes. Naruto doesn’t let this stop him though. He smirks at his husband, mischief in his eyes. “Did she now, ha?”

 Sasuke rolls his eyes and waits for Naruto to stand before pecking him on the lips. “Let’s just get this over with, dope.”

 They both take one of Sarada’s hands, and are ready to go when Naruto realises Kakashi is staring at them. His eyes go from their lips, to their hands, to their wedding rings, to Sarada and then –

 “I knew it,” he mutters under his breath. “Gai owes me some money.” Kakashi then spins, and walks off down the corridor.

 The family of three follow him laughing.

 

 They’re led to the Hokage’s office through an underground passage; better than walking two of the most famous ninjas that have ever lived through the centre of a busy village, Kakashi says. It’s once they arrive inside the building that Naruto can really see the change Konoha has endured while he’s been gone.

 He hadn’t stuck around long enough to really see the building completed after the Pein attack; and, rightly so, a quick glance out of the window shows a village Naruto can only half-recognise.  Few traces of the Sandaime’s tenure remain – even the walls have been completely repainted – the time of Naruto’s childhood long passed.

 He grips Sarada’s hand a little tighter.

 Arriving at Sakura’s office, Kakashi knocks twice – never bothered to do that with Tsunade, ha – before opening the door. Their small group is greeted with a very stony faced Sakura, decked out completely in the Hokage’s garb, Shikamaru, a few Anbu and –

 “Hinata?” Naruto blurts. “Wow, you’re so grown up!”

  Hinata blinks back at him while Sasuke reaches over and thwacks him over the head. OW.

 “ _Sasukeeeeh,_ what was that for?”

 Sasuke looks reasonably exasperated. “Not the right time for reunions, dope.”

 Ah. Right.

 Just revealed themselves to not be dead after 12 years of hiding.

  _Right._

 Naruto dares a glance at Sakura.

 Oooooooooooh, yes, she’s pissed off at him. Damn it, he planned on behaving his morning too.

 Naruto hears Sarada giggle, and his daughter reaches up and pats him on the hand. She looks immensely pitying for a five year old. “It’s okay, Dad. It’s not your fault you’re stupid.”

 Kakashi chokes.

  _“Sarada!”_ Naruto cries, red faced. His integrity just got destroyed by his _own daughter_. He can hear Shikamaru laughing too, oh shit. “That’s not very nice!”

  Sarada has a nerve to look ashamed of him too. “But that’s just what Papa says? And Papa’s always right.”

 Kakashi practically _dies._

 Naruto’s gaze flicks up to Sasuke who looks rightfully chuffed. Naruto glares; betrayed by his own daughter _and_ husband.

 And then there’s a cough.

 “If you don’t _mind_ , can we return to the matter at hand?” Sakura says; her hands are crossed on her desk, still as a statue.

 The whole room immediately sobers. Naruto feels a sweat start on his forehead; he forgot just how terrifying Sakura could be.

  After a reasonable amount of silence has passed, Sakura reaches across the table for some papers, which she shuffles in her hands before glancing over. Shikamaru stays silently at her side, while Hinata moves closer to place a hand on Sakura’s shoulder. Sakura begins: “In the interrogation rooms yesterday,” Sakura continues, “both of you reported that you have returned to Konoha because of issues regarding to Sarada’s health. Both of you refused to talk about the matter without complete secrecy. Now we are alone – and there are silencing seals all around, _and_ everyone in this room has been sworn to secrecy – can you please explain the matter?”

 Numbly, Naruto nods.

 Sasuke takes over the conversation from this point. He kneels down to Sarada’s level and says something quietly to her. Naruto need not listen – he already knows what Sasuke’s saying – but he feels Sarada tense up.  Poor pumpkin.

 He runs a hand through her hair, hopefully calming, until, eventually, Sarada nods. His daughter takes a few steps up towards Sakura’s desk and pauses, clenching her eyes tightly shut.

 Here we go then.

 After a few moments, Naruto sees Sakura straighten in her chair. Her face is stricken, her fingers clench. Shikamaru and Hinata react similarly, Shikamaru doubting, Hinata silent.

 Kakashi, worried, strides around the room to check out the commotion. Naruto knows he’s seen it when his step falters. His old sensei turns to look at him with wide-eyes.

“She’s already activated the Sharingan.”


	6. v

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo!! back again!! a lot of exposition this chapter, with the rest of it solidified in the next. I think - now uni has settled down - I _should_ be able to get out about a chapter a week.   
>  hope you enjoy!!! :3

 There’s a tense few moments of silence.

 “…She’s five,” Sakura final states. She sits, waiting for a response, any form of an explanation that would make all this _rational._

Sakura thought those eyes had died with Sasuke.

Instead, Sarada just sniffs a little and turns back to her parents, eyes still whirling red. “Can I stop now? It hurts.”

 Hurts? Sakura thinks. That’s not meant to happen.

 Naruto – Sakura can practically sense his distress – reaches out for his daughter. She goes running into his arms and he holds her tight. “Yeah, it’s okay. You can stop now,” he soothes, and the sight makes Sakura’s heart pang.

 “Perhaps we should continue this conversation without Sarada? There’s no need for her to be here anymore,” Sasuke interrupts, sharing a glance with Naruto, who then nods at Sakura.

 She frowns; “I will need to have a closer look at this.”

 “But not here, right Sakura?” Naruto says. “There’s a – well – a lot I’m not sure Sarada’s old enough to hear right now.” Naruto then, shifting his focus, crouches down to his daughter’s level, holding her hands. “What’ya say to letting Papa talk with Aunty Sakura for a bit? Then we can go for a little check-up? It won’t be scary; Aunty-Sakura has patched your old Dad here up plenty of times!”

 There’s a flutter of silence, while Sarada, previous hiding behind her hair, takes her own assessment of the room and situation. Under her fringe, Sakura catches a glimpse of burning bright red, Sharingan – _still_ active – before the little girl nods.

 After that, before Sakura knows it, Naruto and Sarada move outside the office to the nearby waiting room – Hinata going with them, to keep an eye on the situation – leaving Sakura alone with her most trusted advisor, her old sensei, two highly trained guards, and a teammate who she was never quite able to save.

 As soon as they’re alone, Sasuke begins to recount his tale.

 

 

 They had found Sarada in an abandoned laboratory.

 It was four whole years ago, when he and Naruto had started a two-man-hunt for Orochimaru. It had been a whole eight years since the shinobi war, and it appeared the man was finally on the move again; or, in a worst case scenario, had only just slipped up enough to be noticed.

 The first instances were subtle; one of the villages they had passed through reported a few missing children, all under the ages of six. Sasuke had held Naruto’s hand a little tighter – his husband always the one for intense emotion – but had thought nothing else of it; with no leads or evidence, there was nothing they could do for these people.

 After a few villages more, Sasuke quickly began to notice a pattern. And once – upon investigating the scene of yet another disappearance – he found the remains of a shedded snake skin on the floor of a child’s bedroom, Sasuke grew suspicious.

 They began tracking down Orochimaru’s old bases, or at least the ones Sasuke remembered from his days as the Sannin’s apprentice, the only real place Sasuke could think to start.

 There was a lot of old shit to wade through; metaphorically and literally.

 Most of the sites were completely abandonded, with little more than test-tubes and the ocassional corpse. Others contained traps, or disgruntled prisoners; they set free all the ones who wouldn’t endanger the world or themselves.

 Sasuke knew they were getting closer by the day; one of the labs they found still had the electricity turned on.

 And in this laboratory they found Sarada.

 Sasuke had felt uneasy the second he stepped inside; he remembered this place well. A good two – maybe three? – months of his time with Orochimaru were spent here.

 There were too many bad memories.

 Naruto had assured him it was all in his head and gripped his hand tight as they walked down the halls.

 There was little other noise than their footsteps, echoing in the dark.

 Until there was a quiet sniffling.  

 In a room full of shattered glass, bloodstains coating the walls and tracked across the floor, Naruto and Sasuke found a little girl curled up in a tight ball, sobbing as quietly as she could.

 

 Sasuke pauses, and there is silence.

 “It wasn’t until a few months ago that her sharingan activated,” eventually, he continues. “It normally activates in a high pressure situation – such as our wave mission –” Sakura nods in recollection “–but Sarada?” He shakes his head. “We were at a festival in Earth country, and she was trying to win a prize on a ring toss. One second of concentration and…

 “It was then that Naruto and I confirmed our suspicions. We’d never been sure, you can’t judge these things on appearance alone. But those eyes? No other sharingan user has been close enough to Orochimaru for him to get their DNA other than me.”

 “Sarada,” Sakura begins, tentative. “She said that activating the sharingan hurt, I believe. Kekkei Genkai rarely ever hurt the user – you never sustained damage unless you were using the Mangekyo.”

 Sasuke looks – pained? No, _worried,_ Sakura settles on. Eyebrows furrowed, teeth clenched – she never remembers Sasuke caring about anything so much.

 He mulls over his words before speaking; “Not even Itachi activated the Sharingan until he was seven, and that was _with_ proper training. She – Sarada isn’t old enough to control it. Her chakra pathways aren’t developed enough to withstand the strain. We fear – Sakura, she nearly passed out due to the strain two weeks ago. I don’t dare to think what could happen if we allow this to continue.

 “Neither Naruto or I have the medical training to deal with this, nor can exactly trust just any medic nin with it. There is no other person in the world who has a better understanding of the sharingan _and_ chakra systems than you, Sakura.

 “ _Please,_ ” Sasuke says, steady and calm, but staring right at her, unmoving. “Put any hatred you have for me aside, and help my daughter.”

 Sakura nods. 


	7. vi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this entire chapter on my phone so there may be some typos that i missed but otherwise i hope you enjoy this chapter!!! (we getting to the real beef next week ;) )

There's much research to be done before any real work can begin.

Sarada sits through many tests - with varying temperments. However well behaved she may be, there are only so many times a five year old can sit in a Doctor's office, being poked and proded.

Most of the tests come back inconclusive. Sakura, the best medic nin the world, stares baffled at the numbers in front of her, the physical symptoms just not matching up.

In the end, she concludes, they'll need to go to the source themselves.

Back to Orochimaru's labs.

She tells them, Naruto and Sasuke, she can't risk sending another team, as no other medic nin would know what to look for, and Sasuke is the only person alive who knows the exact location of the base.

‎They'll have to go together.

Sasuke is far from pleased. Not only did he think he'd never had to set foot in that building again, but he didn't think he'd have to leave both his husband and daughter in a town that would probably kill them if they found out they were still alive.  
  
Ironically.

A week or so later marks the day Sasuke and Sakura leave the village. Both under a henge (and hiding their chakra signitures as much as possible), Naruto and Sasuke say their farwells, Sasuke assuring a grumpy and tearful Sarada that, no, he won't be gone long, and he will be safe, and he will bring her back some chocolate if he can.

At the same time, Sakura is informing her stand-in (a begrudding Kakashi) exactly what needs to be done in her absence, Hinata hovering ever so closely at her side.   
‎  
Its thus, that Naruto watches wistfully as Sasuke and Sakura leave the village side by side.

What a curious sight.

Sitting on his shoulder's, Sarada tugs at his hair. "Dad? Can we look around the village now?"   
  
Naruto glances at Hinata, whose now migrated to his side. Naruto knows she's been asigned to keep an eye on him, but, nonetheless, she's smiling fondly up at Sarada. Hinata nods, and says, "I don't see why not. As long as your Dad stays under his henge, that should be fine."

Sarada squees, and leans down to her father's ear. "Okay! Even Dad can do that! Right, Daddy?"   
  
Naruto holds in a groan. His daughter has such little faith in him.

Hinata, all the more amused, leads them in the direction of town. Naruto has been long looking forwards to this himself, the past week spent confined to Ninja facilities.   
  
The village is colourful and bright; girls walking arm and arm giggling to themselves; old men - most of which Naruto recognises - peacefully obersering the people; a few genin run by, complaining about their sensei; they reach the market district, and Sarada coos at all the curiosities on sale; she's never been in such a big village before.

When a Dango stall catches Sarada's eye, staring open-mouthed, Naruto rolls his eyes and pulls Hinata over so he can buy some. The merchant running the stall makes a huge fuss over a shy Sarada, hiding behind her father's hair and gives them some extra dango for free.

It's while Sarada is happily munching away that Naruto finally brouches talking to Hinata.

"So how long have you and Sakura been dating?"

Hinata practically chokes on her own dango. "I'm sorr- sorry, what?"

Naruto gives her a foxy grin, nudging her lightly. "Come on, you know? You and Sakura. I wouldn't have guessed it would happen but - I admit it - you're super fucking cute together."

Sarada bonks him on the head. "Language, Daddy!"

"Sorry, pumpkin, but I was - Hinata?" Naruto had carried on walking, not realising Hinata was no longer beside him. He looks back to see her frozen a few steps back, panic all over her face.

Frowning, Naruto jogs back to her, holding Sarada's legs tight as he does so, and leans down to Hinata's level. "Ne, you okay, dattebayo? I didn't mean to get too personal."

Her vision shifts slightly to meet Naruto's. She whispers, "Are we really that obvious?"

Wha? Naruto thinks.

And then clicks.

"Ohhhh, shit, you two aren't out yet, are you?"

Hinata's silence is an answer all in itself.

Naruto makes a split second decision.

He takes Hinata's hand, and pulls her off out of the village centre.

 

A few minutes later finds the group of three at the old lake in the Uchiha distict. Naruto wanted to find somewhere quiet - hidden away, where he can finally drop his henge - for this chat. He and Hinata sit on the river bank while Sarada plays in the water, currently making friends with a frog she's just found.

With his daughter amused, Naruto can shift his focus to the woman sitting next to him.

She hasn't said a word since they left the market place - what a great icebreaker, Naruto, fabulous fucking job well done - and he's currently considering how to brooch the topic again without making Hinata freak out again.

He decides to divert a little first.

"...So Sakura told me you're taking over as Clan head soon, huh? How's that going?"

Hinata's quiet again for another second. "...Okay," she says quietly. "There have been a few teething issues - wi-with the council. They were never overly fond of me." She hugs her knees. "Especially when I told them my plans to abolish the Branch seal."

Naruto brightens. "That's great! Wow, good job Hinata!" He gives her a big smile and pat on the back, and is rewarded with a meak smile.

"It's not done yet. Half the council are on my side, and the other half think this is the end of the world as we know it. It's - its -" she stutters "-frustrating. Every other clan in Konoha has modernised, except us."

"Neji would be proud of you either way."

Hinata turns to face him; she looks a little sad. "Thank you, Naruto."

"Nahhhh, nothing to thank me for! You're the one doing all the work!"

She hums, obviously contemplative.

"...Um, Naruto?" she asks, turning back to her knees. He nods, and patiently waits for her to continue. "...How did you and Sasuke come out?"

Ah, he thought this might be coming.   
  
Progress, at least.

Naruto lets out a deep breath. He leans back on his arms, looking up at the blue sky. There are a few clouds - fluffy and cleanly shapped - the sun just reaching its peak, and lets himself think.

"I don't think I really came out to anyone while I lived here. There was - well, a lot going on to think about it." He turns to smirk at Hinata. "Though its pretty obvious now when I look back on it. I talked about Sasuke all the god-damn time."

This gets a giggle out of Hinata, and Naruto takes it as a sign to continue. "I tried voicing my concerns to Jiraiya a few times - like, um, why do I find both of my teammates super hot? -" Hinata scoffs, rightly so "- and I think he understood more of my sexuality crisis than I did by the time we finished traveling together. But at first? Bless the old pervert, he was as straight as a board." He laughs, sentimental. What a long time ago that was.

"He still loved me, though," Naruto decides to tack on. "He was the best man I ever knew."

There's a pause.

"Once I ran away with Sasuke though? We just kinda let people assume what they wanted to assume. As long as they didn't give us any shit, we let them be and they let us be. You know, we got married in Whirlpool country?" he says. "Just a small thing, with some of the people we'd helped over the years. Sasuke got so stressed over cake flavours, I kid you not. Though - you know - he'd so be willing to plan another; he enjoyed it a little too much." The wink Naruto sends to Hinata starts her spluttering, but still laughing.

Naruto gets a little more serious. "We agreed before coming to Konoha to keep up the same game. I know most people really don't care, especially recently where the world's got a lot more peaceful. But - I guess -" Naruto gulps "- one of the reasons I left was because - because I'd just got Sasuke back and I knew if I returned to Konoha right then? ...I'd never have worked up the nerve to have him and be Hokage. You know?"

And Naruto knows he's hit the nail on the head when Hinata doesn't meet his gaze, instead staring out at where Sarada plays.

In a moment of complete honesty, Hinata says: "People keep on asking when I'm going to get married and provide the Hyuuga clan with an heir."

And Naruto feels nothing but empathy.

He places a hand on the shoulder. "Next time someone says something, lemme kick their ass, okay?"

Hinata smiles. "It's good to have you back, Naruto."

He beams in return.


End file.
